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The University of Prince Edward Island will hire two faculty members for a new doctorate of psychology program at UPEI. The four-year program will initially take six students, but could expand to ten. P.E.I. is faced with a shortage of psychologists.

Route 2 Diner restaurant opened on March 25, 2018 in Hazelgrove, P.E.I. The 60 seat family restaurant serves traditional British food such as bangers and mash, as well as hamburgers and other Canadian dishes, and local seafood in the summer.

Amalgamated Dairies Ltd (ADL) will receive $5.4M in federal funding to upgrade and expand its Summerside dairy plant. Expansion of the plant is expected to increase production capacity by 40%, storage capacity by 30%, and create at least 25 new jobs.

SkillsPEI held its first job fair at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown this month. Organizers state that 1,300 jobs are available. Additional job fairs will take place this month in Summerside, Montague, and O'Leary.

Prince Edward Island's minimum wage rose to $11.55 an hour on April 1, 2018. P.E.I.'s rate of pay surpasses New Brunswick's minimum wage which is now at $11.25, Newfoundland and Labrador's wage of $11.15 an hour, and Nova Scotia's $11 an hour.

A program called the PEI Network was launched this month in Charlottetown, which matches employers to recent graduates and newcomers to PEI. The idea is for employers to connect with talent. Participants have to speak English and have a diploma or degree.

Kozy Korner Café restaurant is reopening at Cornwell Plaza. The restaurant plans to hire about eight employees. The menu consists of traditional Lebanese and Canadian food, and also has gluten- free options. It will be open 7 days a week.

P.E.I.'s Atlantic Beef Products says it needs more Island cattle to grow its business, but the supply of P.E.I. cattle has dropped from 30,000 in 2004-05, to about 13,000 today. To ensure a steady supply, the plant gets 20% of its cattle from Quebec.

The P.E.I. government will provide $900K in funding to organizations that help people join the workforce. The Construction Association of PEI will receive $295K for its program that provides training and employment opportunities for youth in construction.

The newly expanded Sidewalk Grill Restaurant and Lounge opened on March 21 in Alberton, P.E.I. The restaurant is now licensed and added pizza to the menu. With 600 ft2 of additional space and seating for 75, the restaurant's 15 staff have been busy.

Two new eateries, Satellite Pizza and Speedy Combo, opened in the Shops of Confederation Court Mall in Charlottetown this month. Satellite Pizza sells authentic New York-Style pizza, while Speedy Combo's menu includes Won Ton Soup, subs, salad and wraps.

HMS Office Supplies store in Summerside is joining Novexco's 108 stores under a new identity, Hamster. As an independent merchant of Quebec-based Novexco, it will be able to offer enhanced local and online shopping experience to its customers.

SkillsPEI is hosting job fairs in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague, and O'Leary from April 9-19, 2018. Besides job fairs, the provincial government has also developed a worker recruitment plan to fill the many job opportunities in construction.

The president of the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation says that the province has a shortage of substitute teachers. P.E.I. currently has 410 certified substitutes, about 20% less than the previous year, as many substitutes have been hired as regular teachers.

A new report entitled "The People Imperative" states that Atlantic Canada has the lowest immigration retention rates in the country. Nova Scotia's retention rate from 2011 to 2015 was 72%, Newfoundland was 56%, New Brunswick was 52%, and P.E.I. was 18%.

Self Employ PEI and the Propel ICT program is helping entrepreneurs who wish to stay and open a business on the island, by providing training and financing. Self Employ has assisted over 300 residents start their businesses in the last two years.

The federal government is providing financial assistance for facility upgrades at Thompson Potato Company Inc. in Victoria, which will increase its capacity and extend its operation season. The move will create longer term employment for its workers.

P.E.I. company, Onset Communications, will receive $176K in federal and provincial money to develop a new software product to be used in movies, television and advertising. The money will allow the company's programmers to get the product to market.

According to a P.E.I. broker, the purchase price of lobster fishing fleets in P.E.I. are going as high as $1M, due to large catch sizes and the high value of landings in recent years. Banks will loan up to 75% of the value of a fishing boat.

The PEI Liquor Control Commission plans to sell cannabis through its government-owned e-commerce platform and retail shops in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague and West Prince. It also announced guidelines pertaining to the sale of cannabis in P.E.I.

The PEI Farm Team program will recruit up to 350 students in the summer of 2018. Students will receive a bursary, as well as their wages, to go toward their schooling. Participants will work on farms, and at seafood and agricultural processing plants.

The expansion work at The Mount Continuing Care Community in Charlottetown, is expected to have the school section completed in September 2018, while the 18 apartment units will be ready by January 2019. Mount Academy will be able to handle 150 students.

Alberta-based W.A. Grain and Pulse Solutions plans to expand their Summerside operation and target the domestic market, despite India's new tariff increases on chickpeas, lentils and peas. The company has been exploring potential new markets.

Health PEI is looking to hire seven new nurse practitioners across the Island, who will work in areas such as Montague, Alberton, Tyne Valley, Summerside, and Charlottetown. Practitioners work with doctors, and are trained to do much of the same work.

A Chinese immigrant is in the process of buying a heritage building on 91 Water Street in downtown Charlottetown. The investor has received the city council's approval and plans to turn the building into a five-star heritage inn with 15 rooms.

The $3.3M design contract to upgrade the Veterans Affairs building in Charlottetown was awarded this month to NORR Architects & Engineers Limited. Once the design work is completed, construction will begin in January 2020 and be completed late in 2023.

The P.E.I. government has signed a five year agreement with the federal government, which will see the province receive $20M in federal funding for home care and mental health. Money will go toward establishing new initiatives and expand current programs.

Freshii in downtown Charlottetown closed this month, nearly three years after it opened. The health food restaurant was a franchise operation, which has over 300 locations globally. The franchise owner has stated he will help his staff find new work.

Charlottetown Port Authority plans to open an Urban Market in Founders Hall. It has signed a two year lease and is looking for vendors. The focus is on local produce and food.

Tourism PEI'S 2018 tourism campaign will promote the island through various platforms. Their plan is to continue growing tourism across PEI. The industry provides 7,700 full-time jobs for Islanders and contributes 6.4% of the total GDP.

A temporary walk-in medical clinic recently opened in Crapaud's South Shore Pharmacy. The clinic is only open once a week and has two physicians, but will add a third doctor next month and be open two days a week. A permanent clinic is being planned.

Statistics Canada figures show that P.E.I. had $1.383B in exports in 2017. This was a 4.6% increase over 2016, with food and equipment manufacturing exports leading the way. P.E.I.'s exports to the United States exceeded $1B for the first time ever.

IO Solutions wants to expand operations at both of its customer care call centres on P.E.I. It is looking to hire an additional 200 people to work at its Bloomfield and Summerside facilities. The company is currently accepting applications.

Bogside Brewing in Montague is looking to open its doors in the summer of 2018. The owner is currently renovating a 10,000 ft2 building on Brook Street, has recruited a German brewmaster, and plans to hire around 10 employees in the beginning.

P.E.I. Potato Solutions, of Wilmot Valley, has purchased a $1.1M chemical imaging machine that inspects potatoes for defects or foreign objects. ACOA provided $375K in funding for the purchase. The company is looking to double its capacity by 2020.

Charlottetown architecture firm Sable Arc Studios, has received preliminary approval to develop the former Home Hardware in Stratford, P.E.I. The plan is to begin renovating the building this summer and develop it into a 10-unit commercial property.

A new Study & Stay program will be implemented in Atlantic Canada in order to retain international students, based on the Nova Scotia pilot program. The program tries to match students with employers and helps with language and soft-skill enhancements.

P.E.I.'s only licensed medical marijuana producer, Canada's Island Garden, was bought by a large American company. The acquisition could see production increase from 1,000 to 30,000 kilograms a year and potentially add 130 to 180 jobs over two years.

P.E.I.'s construction industry launched a new campaign to address the shortage of workers in the province, including a new website ¿ islandbuilder.ca, which will list job openings. The association says it needs 1,800 new workers over the next 10 years.

The P.E.I. Society of Medical Laboratory Science says there is shortage of Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) in the province and nationally. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is 40% short of staff and there are only two MLT programs in the Maritimes.

The P.E.I. government announced three new programs aimed to bridge the gap between hospital and home care access. EMS paramedics will be a vital part of the plan, which will also result in three new nurses and a nurse practitioner being hired.

A new Mexican food restaurant recently opened on Queen Street in Charlottetown. La Sazon de Mexico serves up authentic Mexican food seven days a week and has in-house dining.

According to Statistics Canada the high school dropout rate on P.E.I. was 3.2% in 2016, much lower than the 1990 rate of 20.1%. Over that time governments have worked to reduce dropout rates and the number of job options for dropouts has decreased.

Charlottetown-based DME Brewing Solutions has established itself as a major company in the growing craft brewing industry. DME has 335 staff in total, with 165 employees in Charlottetown. The company produces craft beer tanks and ships to 67 countries.

Initial details were provided on the $6.5M P.E.I. Discovery and Research Centre, which will be located in Summerside. Organizers are in the process of securing funding to build the facility, which will have paid staff and volunteers.

The P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture is trying to get funding for a project to explore what barriers may exist for women who want to work in farming. Island farms are faced with a shortage of workers and women provide less than 20% of farm staff.

The Sears store in Charlottetown closed its doors on January 8, 2018, along with 60 other Sears stores across Canada. The Charlottetown store had employed about 85 people.

Renovations have begun to convert the former Summerside train station into a craft brewery, tap room, and restaurant. The brewing equipment is to be installed by the end of March and the aim is to open for business in June 2018, with up to 30 staff.

Green Meadow Farms Inc. in Morell and Marvyn's Garden Inc. in Elmira received ACOA funding to go toward equipment that will help improve efficiency and productivity. Green Meadow received $155K and Marvyn's Garden received $180K in repayable loans.

The Harvest and Prosper Project ended in December but a dozen of the 32 participants have received full-time jobs. The project helped newcomers and people on social assistance or disability find short term work in the agricultural industry.

Kensington-based Atlantic Grown Organics Ltd. is expanding operations with the help of $236K in ACOA funding. The vegetable producer wants to diversify its products and increase efficiency with the purchase of automated grading and packaging equipment.

Lobster landings were up this year on P.E.I., with good prices and strong sales, but there are labour concerns. Most processing plants are in rural P.E.I., which make filling a job difficult because the rural workforce is decreasing and getting older.

Major upgrades at the Agriculture Canada research farm in Harrington, P.E.I. are now done. The federal government invested $3M for 10 new and renovated laboratories, $1.3M on a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, and $2.5M to expand the greenhouse.

P.E.I. has hired three new psychiatrists who started work this month, and another will arrive in February. Recruiting for psychiatrists is a challenge due to the high demand across Canada. The new doctors are all from outside Canada.

Heart Beet Organics in Darlington, P.E.I. is hiring two new employees when they expand operations in the summer of 2018 by tripling their production of kombucha, a fermented tea. Organic produce is their mainstay, but kombucha now accounts for 30% of sales.

Canada's Island Garden of West Royalty, P.E.I. has signed an agreement to supply the province with marijuana. To meet the demand the company is planning a $20M expansion, which could create up to 70 jobs and increase production six-fold.

The P.E.I. government announced that Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague and West Prince will be the locations for four initial retail locations where legalized marijuana will be sold. The sites will be government-owned, stand-alone stores.

The Sears store in Charlottetown closed its doors on January 8, 2018, along with 60 other Sears stores across Canada. The Charlottetown store had employed about 85 people.

Renovations have begun to convert the former Summerside train station into a craft brewery, tap room, and restaurant. The brewing equipment is to be installed by the end of March and the aim is to open for business in June 2018, with up to 30 staff.

Green Meadow Farms Inc. in Morell and Marvyn¿s Garden Inc. in Elmira received ACOA funding to go toward equipment that will help improve efficiency and productivity. Green Meadow received $155K and Marvyn¿s Garden received $180K in repayable loans.

The Harvest and Prosper Project ended in December but a dozen of the 32 participants have received full-time jobs. The project helped newcomers and people on social assistance or disability find short term work in the agricultural industry.

The rural communities of Brackley and Winsloe South were officially amalgamated into the Community of Brackley, which will represent about 600 residents. The communities felt that they would benefit from a larger tax base and have better access to funds.

A 20-year study of soil health on P.E.I. is showing that there is an overall decline in organic matter, due to increased erosion, decreasing supply of manure for the soil and frequent tillage. Samples were taken from 600 sites around the Island.

P.E.I.'s growth in retail sales were up 8% in 2017, which surpassed the Canadian average. Retailers on P.E.I. saw sales exceed $200M on a monthly basis for the first time ever. P.E.I. food service sales were also up 4.8% compared to the previous year.

The Petite Job Service was launched in December 2017, a free service to promote part-time or casual bilingual jobs on Prince Edward Island. Jobs submitted from organizations get posted on the www.rdeeipe.org/petitejob/website and on social media.

According to a survey from ManpowerGroup Employment, only 3% of Charlottetown employers are planning to hire in early 2018, while 20% anticipate cutbacks. The majority of employers plan to keep their employment levels the same from January to March 2018.

The Red Island Market is planning on opening in April 2018 in the former space of Bargain Fabric Outlet building in North Bedeque. The owners are hoping to fill the 6,000 sq.-ft. space with 50 to 60 vendors offering a variety of foods and crafts.

CIBC's Murray River branch will be closed in August 2018. Four employees will be affected by the closure and the clients of the bank will be transferred to the Montague branch. Bank officials stated that less people are using traditional banking centres.

P.E.I.'s Bideford shellfish hatchery in Ellerslie plans to expand this winter and will likely hire two more staff before this spring to keep up with strong demand for its oyster seeds. The hatchery has seed orders for 18 million oysters for next year.

Silliker Glass announced that it will open a second glass manufacturing plant in Borden-Carleton, PEI. ACOA and the PEI government will help fund the $5.5M project, which plans to be operational by April 2018 and could see up to 30 new workers added.

The Kettle Black is expanding into a 3,600 sq.-ft. space at 135 Kent Street in Charlottetown. The café is expected to open in March, creating up to 17 additional jobs.

Health P.E.I. has hired 64 new graduate nurses since January, as part of its three year nursing strategy to hire more graduate registered nurses and make more full-time nursing positions. Recruiting is underway to fill about 100 vacancies in the province.

Housing starts are up 43.7% on P.E.I. compared to 2016 and building permits have increased 23.8%. According to the Construction Association of P.E.I., the construction boom will require hiring up to 400 additional workers to keep up with demand.

A number of construction projects are underway in Cavendish, including an expansion of Mariner's Cove Boardwalk, with a new restaurant and shops being added. Many cottage properties are also being upgraded and BeaverTails is opening three new locations.

According to a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Charlottetown has the lowest child care rates in the country. The median cost for infant and toddler spaces ranges from $608 to $738 per month. Fees are set by the P.E.I. government.

The PEI Nurses' Union states that it has been a struggle to keep up with demand for registered nurses, leaving facilities short by about 70 full and part-time staff. Health PEI states that there are 1,350 RNs on the island or 30% more than 10 years ago.

Murphy Hospitality Group is setting up a Gahan beer store inside the Charlottetown Superstore on University Avenue, and could open by December 13, 2017. The P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission is looking at Gahan's application to brew beer on site as well.

P.E.I.'s MLAs will see their salaries go up by 1.5% on April 1, 2018. The Indemnities and Allowances Commission set the MLA's pay, with the MLA's base pay to jump to $72, 569 and a cabinet minister's pay to increase to $123,280 for the 2018-19 year.

Phase 2 of a three-year $5.9M construction project at the Green Gables visitor centre is underway in Cavendish, P.E.I. The expanded visitor centre is scheduled to be completed in September 2018 and have new exhibits ready for the 2019 season.

The Borden-Carleton Handpie Company is moving to another building in Gateway Village in early February, which will have more seating. The owner also wants to expand in the next two years and build a manufacturing plant and sell handpies on a larger scale.

The 2017 tourist season set records on Prince Edward Island. Over 1.5 million visitors have spent $447M, and it is expected that the number of overnight stays will exceed a million before the end of the year.

Of the 800 Sobeys employees across the country that will lose their jobs, only three staff on PEI will be impacted. The company is cutting office jobs as it re-structures from five regional operations to a more efficient single national organization.

A CMHC report on PEIs' apartment rental market shows that the apartment vacancy rate on the island has hit a record low at 1.2%. With most immigrants settling in Charlottetown, its vacancy rate dropped to 0.9%, while Summerside's vacancy rate is 2.5%.

The PEI Federation of Agriculture credits a more varied crop base on the island for keeping net farm incomes stable over the past five years. Crops such as soybeans, lentils, and peas are now being grown. The average net farm income for 2016 was $49,263.

A Charlottetown-based website development start-up received $244K from ACOA and $120K in labour rebates from the province to help bring its product to market. Forestry.io has website technology that allows non-technical users to manage their websites.

Research Infosource has named Holland College as one of Canada's top 50 research colleges. Among medium-sized colleges, Holland College finished second for the number of research projects it undertook and its applied research revenue rose 33% last year.

The province announced that there will be a new local film fund as part of PEI's five-year culture strategy. PEI has committed about $700K per year and will offer a 25% rebate on all money spent on the island in film production, to help grow the economy.

The Borden-Carleton Handpie Company is moving to another building in Gateway Village in early February, which will have more seating. The owner also wants to expand in the next two years and build a manufacturing plant and sell handpies on a larger scale.

P.E.I will have the highest minimum wage in Atlantic Canada when it increases to $11.55 an hour in April 2018, up from the current wage of $11.25. The Employment Standards Board recommended the increase based on economic factors and public input.

Pro-Hardware Wholesale in Summerside will close on November 25th, but another local business, HMS Office Supplies is buying Pro-Hardware's inventory and expanding into a new venture. HMS is hoping to grow and gain new customers by adding the new products.

The Port Charlottetown had one of its best cruise seasons on record in 2017, with about 90,000 passengers and over 40,000 crew visiting the port. The direct economic impact was over $15M and Charlottetown welcomed some new cruise lines, including Disney.

According to a Loblaws spokesperson, although none of the 22 stores across Canada that are scheduled to be closed have been identified, P.E.I will not be impacted. The Loblaws brand includes stores such as No Frills, Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart.

P.E.I.'s Health Minister reports that Charlottetown's Queen Elizabeth Hospital has shut down beds in its mental health unit, due to a lack of psychiatrists. The province has agreements in place to have four psychiatrists on the island by January 2018.

The P.E.I. government will invest $2.8M to hire 41 new educators to work with foreign students who are learning English as an additional language (EAL). The number of EAL students on P.E.I. has increased from 367 to 1,882 over a 10 year period.

According to September's provincial tourism report, PEI had a record tourism season with nearly a million overnight stays in 2017, a 6.5% increase over 2016. The number of island visitors coming via the bridge, airport, and ferries all increased from 2016.

Charlottetown's BioFoodTech will invest nearly $1M in new equipment, allowing PEI bioscience companies like MicroSintesis to launch new products and in greater quantities. The infrastructure investment will spur growth and create high paying jobs.

ACOA and the PEI government have committed $500,000 to go toward the West Prince Ventures' Quality Oyster Aquaculture Program. The program will help oyster growers and operators to increase production and efficiency, as well to improve handling and storage.

The tourist season was very positive in Prince Edward Island. An 11.8% increase at the Charlottetown Airport and a 77.7% hike in the number of cruise ship passengers in August have been reported.

Atlantic Safety Wear officially opened this month at the old liquor store in Montague. The new store employs four staff, with plans to add two or three more employees in the new year.

The PEI Business Women's Association is looking for about seven women to participate in a pilot project aimed to get more women into leadership roles in the province. The project will offer free weekly workshops to develop leadership skills.

Home ownership rates on PEI went from 74.1% in 2006 down to 70.3% in 2016, based on the 2016 census data. Newfoundland and Labrador led the country at 76.7%, with New Brunswick next at 75.5%, and Nova Scotia was above the national average at 68.7%.

The Veterans Affairs headquarters in Charlottetown is looking to undergo major upgrades. Proposals are being sought from architects in order to modernize the 33 year-old building. The project is expected to create job opportunities in the region.

The federal government is investing nearly $1M in an initiative to improve tradespeople mobility and opportunities across Atlantic Canada. Trade schools would offer the same curriculum and testing, to ensure tradespeople have the same level of skills.

Green Diamond Equipment in Summerside is building a new larger building to replace the one destroyed by fire back in 2016. The new building will have an overhead crane, more space and likely more staff, with a planned re-opening in March 2018.

Holland College has 330 international students enrolled this year, a record high for the school. The language instruction for newcomers to Canada is also expected to jump to 1,200 students, and the college may hire up to 18 new teachers by November 2017.

The PEI government reports higher tourism numbers for the month of August, compared to the previous year. Passenger traffic at the Charlottetown Airport increased by 11.8%, while the number of room nights sold were up 3.6% and travel on the ferries rose by 35.5%.

Charlottetown gaming company, Sculpin QA, announced it will get $886K in federal and provincial funding. The money will go toward creating a marketing strategy for its virtual reality technology and to hire 13 new staff, such as engineers and designers.

The federal government is hiring 300 new employees to work on the Phoenix payroll system. A Charlottetown MP believes that some of those jobs could be coming to Charlottetown, along with 30 Veterans Affairs staff who will be assigned to work on Phoenix.

Device Doctors, a dedicated cellphone/tablet repair business, announced that it will open a second location in Summerside, PEI. The new business will open in October 2017 and will employ 2 staff.

The Sherwood Timber Mart, which opened in May after purchasing the struggling Sherwood BMR, has been doing well thanks to a strong construction season. The business was able to save all 18 staff and is looking to create two more full-time positions.

A new Statistics Canada report shows that PEI's average weekly wage has been falling since March 2017 and was $815.84 as of July 2017, the lowest in Canada. Nova Scotia recorded the next lowest average at $862.15, while the national average was $970.47.

According to Health PEI, only half of the psychiatrist positions on the island are staffed by actively working psychiatrists. Ideally 15 positions would be filled, but attrition, retirements, sick leave, and recruitment issues has impacted staff levels.

PEI's Mussel King will receive $1.65M in loans from the province and ACOA to go toward the cost of a new cold storage facility. The facility will start storing mussels on October 16, 2017 and will lower transportation costs and help the company grow.

The Great Canadian Dollar Store will open new stores in Crapaud and O'Leary in 2018. The Crapaud location will open in the spring and O'Leary in June. Other franchise locations on PEI include Cornwall, Charlottetown, Alberton, Summerside and Bloomfield.

The Buddhist monks on PEI are planning to open a private school, where students will learn in both Mandarin and English. The HOPE International School aims to open in the fall of 2018 and will initially accept children between five and seven years old.

BioVectra opened a new $4M warehouse in Charlottetown on Airport Drive. The company, which develops pharmaceutical ingredients for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, needed the 21,000 sq.-ft. space to continue its growth. BioVectra has 300 staff in total.

PEI-based company Cavendish Farms broke ground on a new $360-million potato-processing plant in Lethbridge, AB. The plant will create 400 jobs in southern Alberta and will allow Cavendish to expand their potato production from 6,000 acres to over 15,000 acres.

WestJet is reducing the number of flights departing from the Charlottetown Airport to Toronto as of October 23, 2017, and cancelled its service to Florida. Air Canada is also reducing the number of daily flights to Toronto, but will fly bigger planes.

MacDougall Steel Erectors Inc. will receive $3.5M in repayable term financing and up to $880K in labour rebates for the 126 new jobs projected to be created at the former McCain plant in Borden-Carleton. The facility will undergo $7M in renovations.

Little Caesars is opening a new pizzeria in Summerside, PEI. The new location will open around October 10, 2017 and will go in the former Herbal Magic location in the Granville Street north area of the city. It is expected to create 12 to 15 local jobs.

Atlantic Beef Products plans to expand and hire more workers within the next 2 years. The Albany plant has doubled production in the past two years and recently started shipping its beef to the U.S. The PEI plant employs 120 full-time people.

Growth of PEI's median income was higher than the national average, according to the latest census figures. The median income on PEI grew by 11.1% over 10 years, averaging around $61,163. PEI's rate of child poverty was fourth in the country.

The Arsenault Sawmill in Richmond has gone into receivership, with the PEI government being the biggest secured creditor. More than $3.7M is owed to the province. The sawmill employed about 50 people back in 2007.

Ten cruise ship visits scheduled for Charlottetown have been cancelled due to new rules requiring ships to slow down by ten knots to avoid harming whales. This is expected to impact local businesses with 8,000 fewer tourists visiting the city.

Single dwelling family homes in Prince Edward Island have doubled in investment for the first half of 2017 according to Statistic Canada. Spending for PEI is up 25.4% compared to 7.4% nationally.

According to Statistics Canada, PEI had the highest growth in residential construction in the country for the first half of 2017, up 31.6% over the previous year. Non-residential construction on the island was also up 24.4%, second only to New Brunswick.

PEI's Somru BioScience has formed a joint venture with Radiant Pharmaceuticals of Bangladesh. The companies have teamed up to improve the early diagnosis of diseases. It is expected to create $50M in export sales and add 100 jobs to Somru's PEI operation.

Some craft brewers in PEI have struggled to make enough beer to meet the strong demand this summer. Breweries such as Upstreet Craft and Barnone Brewery have both run out of beer at times and have had to work extra hours to keep up with demand.

According to a survey done by the job-hunting website Monster, 52% of Atlantic Canadians feel overworked and 21% left a job due to stress. Approximately 58% of Canadian workers reported feeling overworked and 25% had left a job due to stress.

According to the general manager of the Prince Edward Island Grain Elevators Corporation, the island's cereal harvest appears to be showing good yields. Farmers have reported 1.8 tonnes per acre for barley and 2.6 to 2.7 tonnes per acre for winter wheat.

The PEI government signed a three-year deal with the federal government which will provide $10.5M in funds for early learning while also creating 200 child care spaces

PEI's $142.5M underwater electric cable project was officially completed this month. The island's total electric power capacity has increased from 200 to 560 megawatts.

According to the PEI Wild Blueberry Growers Association, crops appear to be 20% to 30% smaller than last year and processors are only offering 20 cents a pound, compared to 30 cents a pound in 2016. Farmers report that they are losing money on every pound.

The PEI government will invest $2.2M toward the building of a Mi'kmaq waterfront retail and office complex in Charlottetown. The Abegweit and Lennox Island First Nations will own the building, and will benefit from the long-term revenue it will generate.

Construction on Foxwoods Developments, a $12M Stratford subdivision, will begin in a few weeks. The first phase will see 55 lots developed, with eventually 154 lots of single-family dwellings and semi-detached units being built over the next three or four years.

PEI's monthly retail sales, which led the country in growth from January to June 2017 at 9.11%, has shown a slow decline in recent months. The province had retail sales surpassing $200M in March and April, but June sales dropped to about $195M.

A certified organic farm in Wheatley River has opened the Island Wine Company. The operation started in July 2017 and takes honey, then ferments it into a drink called mead. Innovation PEI provided funding through the future farmers program.

UPEI has expanded its international recruitment efforts to include eight new countries. The changing demographics in Canada has meant less domestic students to attract. International students at the UPEI campus now account for 20% of all students.

PEI's Adult Day Program will expand its hours this fall in Alberton, Summerside, Charlottetown and Souris. To meet the need an extra 2.7 full-time employees will be hired. The program offers home care services that support Islanders and their caregivers.

According to a review by the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, PEI has led the Atlantic Canada region in economic growth in 2017. PEI has shown strong growth in housing starts, retail sales, non-energy exports, aerospace exports, and potato exports.

The PEI Lobster Marketing Board is going to hire a marketing expert to work full-time promoting and marketing PEI lobster. PEI is the first province to have lobster fishermen pay a levy in order to market their product, in hopes of boosting profits.

Work is expected to begin in September 2017 on a new Hampton Inn & Suites hotel on Capital Drive in Charlottetown. The six-storey $15M project is planned to be completed in late 2018.

The Charlottetown Airport broke another record for passenger traffic in July 2017, with 52,754 passengers using the airport that month. Overall on the year, traffic is up 4% compared to 2016.

The former Summerside train station will be transformed into a microbrewery in the fall of 2017. The first stage of the project will be as a manufacturing facility for beer, then later on as a pub-style restaurant.

The 2016 census figures found that 7,665 Islanders, or 5.4% of PEI's population, have a mother tongue that is not English or French. The main immigrant language spoken on the island is Mandarin, whereas in the other Atlantic provinces it is Arabic.

The PEI government's June tourism indicator report show that meetings and conventions helped drive-up record tourism numbers in June. From June 2017 to June 2016, overnight stays were up 2.8%, airport traffic was up 9.8%, and bridge traffic was up 2.7%.

The PEI government is looking to recruit rural immigration agents, who will work together with the newly established regional economic advisory councils, to promote rural opportunities for immigrants

Demolition of seven properties on the corner of Grafton and Cumberland streets will begin in early August to make way for the construction of a $6.96M Holland College residence. The 80-bed student residence is expected to be completed by August 2018.

The owner of the Leard House restaurant and café in Lower Bedeque announced that she will be shutting down operations of Maud's hideaway due to personal and financial reasons

Furious Franks, a food truck operation, opened for business in Belfast, PEI on the former property of the Higher Ground Café and Selkirk Lobster Suppers. The owner has sold out of food daily since opening in late July and is offering part-time work.

PEI Bag Co. Ltd. will be able to increase production with the help of a $200,000 loan from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The money will go towards purchasing more manufacturing equipment. PEI Bag Co. currently employs around 40 workers.

Cavendish Farms is constructing two new potato storage buildings to replace aging storage infrastructure. Construction of the new buildings will employ between 50 and 60 contract workers. The project is scheduled to be completed in October 2017.

A Statistics Canada study reports that only 8% of Canadian farmers have a written succession plan, and the average farmer is 55 years old. The increased cost of agricultural land has seen many small-scale farms being bought by large corporations.

A Statistics Canada report shows that PEI is the country's largest potato grower, with 35,600 hectares of potatoes planted. Manitoba has 26,100 hectares of potatoes planted. Despite growing 25% of Canada's potatoes, PEI production has declined since 1999.

According to PEI's Real Estate Association, high demand and a low supply has caused housing prices to increase. The average house price in PEI over the first six months of 2017 was up 11.5% compared to 2016. In June 2017 the average home cost $219,235.

APM Construction plans to build a $30M resort at Tracadie Harbour, PEI. Blackbush at Tracadie Harbour will include a 20-unit hotel and a 41-lot subdivision located about 300 metres from the beach. Work is expected to start in the Fall of 2017.

Giant Tiger officially opened its 24,930 sq.-ft. store at University Plaza in Charlottetown on July 15, 2017. The store features a full grocery section, as well as clothing and other items at a low cost. Giant Tiger also has a Summerside location.

According to a recent report from Statistics Canada, rural islanders earned on average 90% of the employment income earned by the average Islander in 2015. In 2008 that percentage was 84%. Charlottetown residents earned 110% of the median income in 2015.

The Sydney Boutique Inn & Suites is open for business in Charlottetown, after $11.5M was spent to transform the former convent into a five-star boutique inn. The Inn employs about 15 staff and features 18 two-bedroom apartments and four micro-apartments.

According to Statistics Canada, PEI women have employment earnings that are on average 81% of what men make. Nationally women¿s median income is about 71% of what men earn.

BeaverTails opened at Peake's Quay on Charlottetown's waterfront this month, with the store expecting to staff 15 people. The Canadian-based chain, which has another PEI location on the Cavendish boardwalk, specializes in pastries.

The latest Manpower Group Employment Outlook Survey states that only 7% of Charlottetown area employers expect to hire in the third quarter of 2017, with the same percentage anticipating cutbacks. Across Canada 17% of employers expect to hire more staff.

Sekisui Diagnostics in Charlottetown's West Royalty Business Park has completed a $6M expansion and is now expanding further with the construction of another building in Charlottetown. The bioscience company has grown by 34 full-time staff since 2011.

Housing starts in PEI are up 46% over the first six months of 2017 compared to the same period last year. According to the CMHC, this is the strongest growth in a long time and the increase can be attributed to the number of new immigrants on the Island.

The Pizza Hut in Charlottetown has shut down its location on University Avenue at Kirkwood Mews. The developer stated that Pizza Hut's lease was expiring and they chose not to renew it.

Work resumed on the multi-million dollar Summerside resort property, formerly known as the Dynasty Spa. Curran and Briggs Ltd. were awarded the contract to connect water and sewer to the main resort building, then inside work on the building will begin.

The Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provincial governments have committed $20M for a Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy. The initiative is expected to grow exporting in the region, as well as boost foreign investment.

Charlottetown software company iWave Information Systems Inc. will be adding 10 to 15 jobs over the next two years. The new positions will consist of software development, sales, marketing and finance. iWave currently employs 39 in Charlottetown.

Shorty's, a new dairy bar partnered with Inclusions East, will offer employment opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities in Montague. The dairy bar employs three intellectually disabled workers in addition to a job coach who provides guidance.

Eleven new federal jobs will be coming to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Catch Certification Office in Tignish. These jobs will bring in $450,000 to the Tignish area through annual wages, supporting economic development in rural communities.

A shortage of nurses on PEI has led to major staffing issues in Island healthcare facilities. Some nurses are being compelled to do unwanted overtime and cancel planned vacations. According to Health PEI, there are 89 vacant nursing positions across PEI.

Charlottetown's Receiver Coffee will be expanding into a second location, just four years after starting operations. The expansion was needed to increase manufacturing capabilities of the company's brand of coffee grind. The new store opens June 26.

Nautican Research and Development has finished manufacturing its first major project. This comes as the company has recently increased its facility capabilities in Summerside. Nautican now has seven employees and is looking to further expand in the future

Mount Academy, a private school for athletes is planned to open in Charlottetown this September. So far the school is intended for hockey players, but plans to branch into more sports. In its first year, the academy will support only grades nine and ten.

The Riverview Manor long-term care facility will be replaced with the help of federal funding. A new manor will be constructed in Tyne Valley, supported by $12.1M from the federal government. Work on the 49-bed facility will begin in the coming weeks.

The PERCÉ program for Francophone and bilingual students has received funding of $97,950 from ACOA and $47,000 from the PEI government for their summer internship programs. This aims to keep young Islanders in the province by offering work opportunities.

An increase in dairy quotas will allow PEI farmers to produce 5% more milk. This is the largest single year increase since the 1990s. This new demand is expected to grow the Island dairy industry by 5% in terms of cows, feed, barn space and labour.

According to the census of agriculture, PEI potato production remains first in Canada despite 9.5% fewer farms since 2011 and that dairy farmers improved productivity on PEI producing 10 million more litres of milk than 2011, despite fewer farms and cows.

The PEI and federal governments announced a joint contribution of $29.8M for 26 waste and wastewater projects in the province. The federal government will contribute $20M of the total funds. Of the spending, $15M will go towards projects in Charlottetown.

Green Diamond Equipment will rebuild their Summerside John Deere dealership; nine months after a fire destroyed it. Tenders are being worked on for Island construction contractors to bid on. The John Deere dealership employs 30 people while at its peak.

Cousins restaurant, in Tignish, is to be reconstructed two years after it was destroyed by fire. The new foundation has already been laid for the restaurant, which aims to begin operations by autumn. The restaurant will have the capacity to seat 110.

PEI has lost many of its strawberry farms in recent years, with only a dozen farms remaining; compared with 20 just a few years ago. Strawberry farmland almost halved from 2011 to 2016. This is due in large part to retiring farmers not being replaced.

The price of a mortgage on PEI is among the lowest in Canada. The average value of a mortgage loan on PEI is $155,769, which is $115,000 less than the national average. Despite this, PEI mortgage delinquency rates are nearly twice the Canadian average.

The number of permit requests to build in Stratford is growing. Compared to last year, the value of construction permits in Stratford more than doubled, now valued at over $10M. Permits for new domestic dwellings made up the majority of issued permits.

The province of PEI will be adding 27 new teaching positions, which will be distributed across the Island based on school populations and classroom needs. Twenty-five of the positions will be at English schools and two will go to French schools.

According to the PEI government , there is an immediate need for 500 construction workers and up to 1,800 over the next decade. PEI's non-residential construction sector grew by 12.5% in 2016. The province is providing support to recruit trade workers.

The owner of Massage Addict in Charlottetown has partnered with Eastern College to recruit Islanders into the massage therapy program. Massage Addict is also offering tuition rebates and guaranteed employment to participants when they graduate.

A new report from the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, states that major capital spending on PEI will drop by 5% in 2017. The $140M underwater cable project was completed in May, but new investments will be seen in water, highway, and other projects.

PEI Beef prices for slaughter cattle is showing signs of recovering after 17 months of dropping prices. Cattle prices hit $116.07 per 100 pounds of beef in April 2017, compared to a low of $93.26 in November 2016 and a high of $155.16 in May 2015.

The Canadian Corps of Commissionaires in PEI is looking to hire up to 20 people to do security work in a health care environment. The Commissionaires have about 160 staff on the Island, who are retired Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP and security personnel.

Statistics Canada reports that tourism in PEI employs the highest percentage of youth (15-24) in the country at 38.4%, and are the lowest paid at $14.19/hr. On average, youth account for 33.5% of the Canadian tourism workforce and are paid $20.83/hr.

PEI will receive $7.2M in affordable housing investments for transitional housing and social housing for families and seniors. The money will go toward projects such as renovations to existing housing, as well as to build new housing across the island.

A new family-owned Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Pho recently opened at 150 Heather Moyse Drive in Summerside, PEI. Located at Spinnaker's Landing, the restaurant is initially planned to be a seasonal operation.

Sherwood Building Supplies Ltd which had filed for bankruptcy, is under new ownership and is now Sherwood Timber Mart. All 18 staff of the lumber/hardware store have been retained by the new owners, who are hoping to hire more staff if successful.

A new restaurant called Captain's Cove Seafood and Grill, is scheduled to open on Main Street in Montague, PEI on June 2, 2017. The restaurant will feature fresh local seafood and beef and will initially employ five to six employees.

Myers Industries, a provider of residential and commercial garbage removal, was bought out by Superior Sanitation. Superior has offered jobs to Myer's six employees, who would no longer operate out of Montague, but would work from Charlottetown instead.

P.E.I.'s Holland College announced that tuition will go up 2% in September 2017, resulting in about a $100 hike. Areas of study like culinary arts will cost $6,321, accounting technology will be $5,078, and video game art and animations will cost $3,907.

J & S Visser Produce Inc. of Vernon Bridge is modernizing its equipment with the help of a $250K repayable contribution from ACOA. The PEI company will add a baler and bagger system, allowing them to boost their capacity and competitiveness.

Tuition at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) will be going up by $17 per course in the fall of 2017, while international fees will go up by $21. Even with the increase, UPEI states that it still has the second lowest tuition in the Maritimes.

Silliker Glass, who received a $300K McCain grant, is expecting to expand from 27 staff to 70-80 staff over the next 12 to 18 months. Atlantic Beef Products, is hoping the grant money it received will allow it to create up to 20 new jobs as well.

The provincial government announced a new program called Team Youth Trucking, which was developed with the trucking sector to expose young people to the industry. The program will take 15 students and provide them with job placements for 10 weeks.

PEI's net farm income was over $55M in 2016, a 35% increase from 2015, and ahead of the national average of 7.6%. Farm incomes fell in four provinces, including Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Potatoes account for about half of PEI's farm income.

Rollo Bay Holdings, a potato packer in eastern PEI, plans to upgrade its processing and packaging equipment after receiving a $1.4M loan from ACOA. The investment in new technology will help expand its product offerings and create more skilled positions.

According to a Statistics Canada report, livestock accounted for only 30% of all PEI farm income in 2016. Hardest hit has been the hog industry, which accounted for 10% of farm income in 2000, but is now less than 2%. Crop income has increased steadily.

According to a recent report from Statistics Canada, PEI's average weekly wages are the lowest in the country at $827, which is a 1.9% increase over June 2015. Nova Scotia had the next lowest wage at $845 a week.

Labour Market Bulletins

An analysis of the local labour market and an assessment of local employment-related events. (To access archived Labour Market Bulletins not appearing on this webpage, please contact us).